Heater for ice-elevators



(No Modem 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.v

J; N. BRIGGS. HEATER FOR ICE ELEVATORS.

No. 399,012. Patented Mar. 5, 1889 mmfiwf Inventor:

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-8heet 2.

J. N. BRIGGS.

HEATER FOR 103 ELEVATORS. No. 399,012 Patented Mar. 5, 1889'.

msesi Ewan/i111:

' (JOHN NEH/ass,

mibrngy.

UNITED STATES ATE/NT QElFlQlE-Q .lOllN N. BRIGGS, OF OOEYMA'NS, NEWYORK.

HEATER FOR ICE-ELEVATORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 399,012, dated March 5,1889.

Serial No, 238,538. (No modeLl To all whom it 711 6113] cancer/r:

Be it known that 1, JOHN N. BRIGGS, of Coeymans, in the county of Albanyand State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements inHeaters for Ice-Elevators, of which the following is a specification.

Hcretofore the operation of QlQVdllllg cakes of ice into ice-houses hasbeen attended with 3 very greattrouble and difficulty, which hasoccurred by reason of the endless chains and guideways of theelevatorbecoining coated and clogged with ice, which would form thereonand produce an obstruction to the free operation of the elevatingmachinery that necessitated removal before the operation of elevat- Qing could be continued. This removal was j only eflfected byconsiderable loss of time and its attendant expense. l

The object of my invention is to remedy this defect; and l attain thisobject by the l means illustrated in the accompanying draw ings, whichare herein referred to and form part of this specification, and in whichj Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section, partly in elevation, ofan ice-elevator provided with my improvement. Fig. 2 is an enlargedtransverse section at the line X X of the elevator with thedriving-shaft and sprocket wheels removed therefrom; and Fig. 3 is anenlarged longitudinal section at the line Y Y of one of the gnideways,showing the joint of the apron to said guideway.

As shown in the drawings, A designates an ice-elevator similar to thoseordinarily used for the purpose of elevating cakes of ice into anice-house, the essential difference between the one shown and those ofprior construction being that the lower guideways, B, are provided witha longitudinal channel, 1, formed in each for the purpose of containingsteampipes. To the lower end of said guideways an apron, C, is hinged,as at 2, in the usual mannenfor the purpose of allowing it to swingupwardly and downwardly, according to the rise and fall of the tide inthe water where the elevator is erected Said apron has in its guidewayschannels which conform'to those in the guideways B and which are for thesame purpose as the channels in the latter.

D are longitudinal steam-pipes arranged in the channels of the guidewaysof the elevator outer end of the apron C.

and its apron in such manner that the upper side of said pipes will beabout flush with the upper face of the horizontal flanges of theguideways-i. 6., the seat on which the lower portion of the endlesschain has its bearing.

i Said steam-pipes are connected to a steam-supply pipe, E, which may beconnected directly to a steam-boiler, F, as shown in the drawings; or,when preferred, they may be connected to the exhaust-pipe of asteam-engine by which the elevatormachinery is driven. Vhen thesteam-pipes D are extended outwardly to reach onto the apron C, they areeach provided with l a flexible joint, 3, which is arranged incorrespondence with the hinge-joints of the guideways B, and which arepreferably made of a section of rubber hose or other material havingsufficient strength to stand the pressure to which it is subjected andsufficient flexibility to yield with the bending movement of saidhinge-joint. The lower ends of the steam-pipes D are preferably leftopen, for the purpose of obtaining a constant circulation of steamtherethrough and allowing a free escape for the water of condensationtherefrom.

G are endless chains, of which there are two to each elevator, and whichpass over sprocketwheels H on a driving-shaft, I, by which acontinuousmotion is imparted to said endless chains. Extending outwardly saidendless chains pass around the apron-wheels J at the The lower stretchof said chains will move on the guideways 13 directly over thesteam-pipes D, and the upper or d0wnwardly-moving stretch of saidendless chains will move on the upper guideways, K, thence over the topof the knuckle-wheels L and to the apron-wheels J. The knucklewheels Lare secured to a cross-shaft, M, which is journal ed in the outer end ofthe arms N, the latter being pivoted to the guide-ways B, as at a, sothat the weight of the knucklewheels L and shaft M will rest on thelower stretch of said endless chains.

By means of the steam-pipes I), which are fixed directly under the pathof the endless chains G, iceis prevented from forming on. the

- guideways B and on the endless chains G, but

especially on the lower stretch of the latter, which, as it is drawnupwardly out of the water, is covered with water and usually coated withice, and by which the water is scattered over the guideways B to producea formation of ice at the angle of said guideways to such a degree thatthe operations of the elevator will 5 be materially delayed andoftentimes entirely prevented. This defect has proved a source of greatannoyance and expense.

It should be understood that the elevator and its operating machineryform no part of my invention, they being of an old and wellknownconstruction. Therefore I do not make any claim to them; but

I claim as my invention In an ice-elevator, the combination of theendless chains of the elevator, guideways for said endless chainsprovided with longitudinal channels in proximity to the path of saidendless chains, and steam-pipes arranged in said channels, whereby iceis prevented from form- I ing on said chains and guideways, as and for20 the purpose herein specified.

JOHN N. BRIGGS.

Vitnesses:

M. H. Low, S. B. BREWER.

